7 Best Restaurants in Malta
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Traditional Maltese cuisine is Italian in origin, but "international" food is on most restaurant menus as well. Locally caught fish is a specialty. The national dish is fenek (rabbit); bra?joli (beef olives) and lampuki (dorado) pie are runners-up. Pastry coats fish, vegetables, cheese, and pasta dishes. Soups, minestra (minestrone) and aljotta (fish) especially, are common, and are delicious with daily baked crusty Maltese bread. Capers, the buds of the caperis specicum shrub that is native to the islands, are widely used. Native wine is abundant and inexpensive; look for medium-dry whites. Cisk lager is a local favorite, and try Hop Leaf pale ale for something with a bit more bite. Kinnie, a terrific nonalcoholic thirst quencher, is made from a "secret recipe" that includes bitter oranges.
Noni
Ta' Kris
This is one of the last remaining traditional Maltese trattorias along the tourist strip, and local families, along with a few in-the-know visitors, flock to this relaxed eatery. The chef is famed for his homemade succulent braġjoli (thin beef steak stuffed with pork herbs and breadcrumbs, then rolled and cooked) and mouth-watering slow-cooked rabbit. The freshly made pastas and sauces are copious and an excellent value. The menu is matched by local, reputable wines. The restaurant is a little difficult to find, located down a narrow alley off the main shopping street. There's no view, but don't worry, food and the rustic ambience add up to a typical Maltese experience.
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Caffe Cordina
On the ground floor of the original treasury of the Knights is Valletta's oldest café. Since 1837, this ornate, vaulted confectionery has produced hot, savory breakfast pastries and qaghaq ta' l-ghasel (honey rings). The lunch menu also includes sandwiches, salads, and a choice of daily specials. The interior air-conditioned café attracts Valletta movers and shakers, because of its close proximity to parliament and the law courts. The shaded outside tables in Victoria Square are the city's prime people-watching spots. Enjoy a coffee, beer, or glass of wine and relax.
Giannini
Leading politicians and the fashionable alike dine here on haute Maltese-Italian cuisine. Dishes hit the heights with pan-seared boneless quail and veal chops, and the day's catch is usually reliable. Tables on the open balcony-style terrace overlook the Sliema waterfront, but if it's too hot outside, try the table just inside the open full-length windows to get the best view combined with a little cool air. There is a lounge downstairs; the restaurant is on the fifth floor.
An elevator only takes you part of the way; you'll still have to climb a flight of stairs to get to the restaurant.
Il Kartell
Fresh fish served by the sea is the signature of success for this long-standing Gozo favorite. Try a salad sprinkled with locally grown capers followed by grilled catch of the day or clams with pasta. The low ceiling of the vaulted dining room, once an old boat house, can feel a little claustrophobic but the sunny terrace overlooking the bay is popular with visitors from surrounding hotels but many local families also make this the place for long lunches or dinners.